AEW will likely return to live programming with their weekly Dynamite show on TNT in the next few weeks, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
The current plan is for AEW to resume tapings at their home base of Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL beginning May 6, according to the Observer. AEW is returning to Florida as the state recently opened up for sporting events with national audiences, which is what allowed WWE to resume operations during the coronavirus pandemic.
AEW currently has enough content taped to carry them for several more weeks, which was taped recently in Georgia. The Observer noted that the plan right now is for AEW to go back either weekly or more often starting on May 6 from Jacksonville.
The episodes beginning May 6 will begin the hard push for the Double Or Nothing pay-per-view, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 23. AEW officials expect to have about twice as many talents available for the next set of tapings as some were not brought to the Georgia tapings because they lived in areas heavily impacted by COVID-19. Some of those talents started quarantining earlier this week as officials wanted two weeks of quarantine before bringing people in from those coronavirus hot zones.
The next shows will reportedly focus on talents that are working Double Or Nothing.
WWE announced that they have released Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder of The Revival. They noted that the release was “immediate”, indicating that they do not have a 90-day non-compete clause.
It had been widely expected that the tag team would be leaving the company once their contracts expired. Both of their contracts were originally set to expire this month. While Dawson’s deal is up, Wilder’s contract was extended until mid-June to make up for time he missed due to injuries.
Wilder recently filed to trademark the name “Cash Wheeler” last month. He also owns the following trademarks related to the team: No Flips, Just Fists; Say Yeah; Top Guys, Shatter Machine; #FTRKO; #FTR.
Dawson also filed several trademarks recently and owns the following: No Flips, Just Fists; Say Yeah; Top Guys; Shatter Machine; #FTRKO.
It had widely been expected that Dawson and Wilder would be signing with AEW once they were free. AEW currently has no tapings scheduled after filming television last week that will last the company through mid-May. The status of the AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view scheduled for Saturday, May 23rd in Las Vegas remains uncertain.
WWE issued the following statement regarding their release:
Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder of The Revival releasedEffective today, Friday April 10, 2020, WWE and The Revival have agreed on their immediate release from WWE. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
From what we were told, the officials initially attempted to shut down the tapings before being provided with paperwork that allowed AEW to move forward. Apparently AEW had been approved to move forward before Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp issued his “shelter in place order”, which officially goes into place today at 6 pm.
Since Wrestling Inc.’s reporting, AEW President Tony Khan has reached out to them to provide clarity on the situation.
Khan explained, that the official who stopped by was a local Georgia code enforcement official. They were there to ensure that everything was as agreed to in the permits AEW had obtained. Khan stated that it was just a routine check-in like any other week, and everything was fine on both sides.
AEW has moved away from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville after the city shut down all hotels, except to essential personnel. With this making it difficult to film in the area, AEW moved to an undisclosed locations to tape new episodes.
Tonight at 8 pm ET on AEW Dynamite:
* Lance Archer’s in-ring debut
* Trent vs. AEW World Tag Team Champion Kenny Omega
* Darby Allin and Cody Rhodes vs. Shawn Spears and Sammy Guevara
All Elite Wrestling has announced a tournament will kick off next month to determine the promotion’s first-ever TNT Champion.
The press release states:
AEW announced its first-ever “TNT CHAMPIONSHIP,” a high-stakes, eight-man tournament which kicks off on Wednesday, April 8, on the weekly AEW: DYNAMITE show on TNT. The single-elimination tournament will feature the biggest names in AEW all vying for the inaugural TNT CHAMPIONSHIP belt.
Wrestlers in the first half of the tournament bracket will be revealed this Tuesday, March 31, on AEW’s YouTube show, AEW DARK. The second half of the bracket will be announced this Wednesday, April 1, during the live AEW: DYNAMITE show on TNT.
The TNT CHAMPIONSHIP will culminate with an epic final match at DOUBLE OR NOTHING, AEW’s highly anticipated PPV event on Saturday, May 23, in Las Vegas.
“It’s been a privilege working with Kevin Reilly and TNT to bring fans the best live wrestling show week after week on AEW: DYNAMITE, especially during these tumultuous times,” said Tony Khan, president and CEO of AEW. “I’m glad we’re now able to announce the TNT CHAMPIONSHIP. The first ever titleholder will be determined by an unforgettable tournament that fans will not want to miss, and that our wrestlers will be desperate to win. I’m excited for the announcement of the full bracket live on Dynamite this week. And, it’s only fitting that the champion and the title belt will carry the logo of the globally-respected TNT brand, and that they’ll represent not only AEW but also the great quality programming, massive reach, and storied history in the wrestling business that are all associated with TNT.”
Watch the video announcement on “Road To Dynamite” below.
The first four participants in AEW’s upcoming TNT Championship tournament have been revealed.
AEW Dark this week kicked off with Tony Schiavone and Cody Rhodes announcing the first two tournament matches: Shawn Spears vs. Cody and Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin.
Cody reacted to the announcement talking about how the first match is an All Out rematch and how both of his possible second opponents have taken him to the limit as well.
The tournament to crown AEW’s first-ever TNT Champion is set to begin next month and scheduled to culminate at Double or Nothing in Las Vegas on May 23.
The rest of the competitors will be announced on Dynamite this week.
Tonight’s episode will air live from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida on a closed set. Cody will be special guest announcing with Tony Schiavone.
* Kenny Omega (c) vs. Sammy Guevara (AAA Mega Championship)
* Cody vs. Jimmy Havoc
* Matt Hardy and Chris Jericho to have a one-on-one confrontation
* Luchasaurus vs. Wardlow (Lumberjack Match)
* Chuck Taylor and Trent vs. Pentagon Jr. and Fenix (Parking Lot Street Fight)